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The Habit of Being Yourself

Caught between wanting to be “authentically” me, and desiring to be someone a whole lot better…

In a world that praises authenticity, I find myself swinging on a pendulum in and out of agreement.

Yes, I want to be true to my inner self, but I don’t want to give in to my basest instincts… laying around 24/7 in yesterday’s pajamas with a milkshake and a bag of Doritos.

Yes, I want to have a garden full of flowers and herbs and tomatoes in late summer, but I can’t be bothered to water the damn things.

Yes, I want to be comfortable in my own skin, but I also don’t want to gain five (or more) pounds every year for the rest of my life.

So when Dr. Joe Dispenza’s Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself recently came into my home, I felt a disturbing compulsion to check it out. What if we could truly break the habit of being “ourselves”? What kind of person would we choose to become instead? And if we succeeded… would it make us happier?

The book description gives me a different understanding of its premise, however.

That’s different than me dreaming one day I won’t be tempted by
Fastnachts (a Pennsylvania Dutch donut made the day before Lent each
year).

My copy of this book was gifted to my husband by a woman who
successfully cured herself of cancer using this scientist’s techniques,
and that was the second time I’d heard his praises sung. The other rave
review was also a female cancer survivor who chose to forego radiation
and chemotherapy, opting instead for holistic healing.

These women now lead healthy lives that are not defined by a disease. Are they being “inauthentic”?

I don’t think so. But then perhaps the intense stress their lives held pre-diagnosis wasn’t exactly “authentic” either.

We’re not made to be overwhelmed all the time. We weren’t created to
feel guilty or jealous or undesirable. We weren’t set on this earth to
spend our days wishing we were someone else.

I wish for you a life that holds meaning and purpose. You have wisdom,
and you have stories that only you can share. It’s time to be the best
self you can possibly be…